TRAITS OF WRITING

June PreszlerTIEAug. 21, 2007

TODAY’S PLAN Revisit the traits Three-Minute Write Think-Ink-Pair-Share Summaries The Picture Worth a Thousand Words RAFTS Create a trait lesson that you can use

during the first weeks of school

REMEMBER THE TRAITS? There are six of them. How many can

you name and explain? Three-Minute Write:

List the traits and provide a definition for each one.

Returning teachers: What two traits did your building choose to focus on during the 2006-2007 school year?

IDEAS

Ideas are the heart of the message, the content of the piece.

IDEAS AND DEVELOPMENT Clarity and control Focused and relevant Details that matter Fresh and original Substance and accuracy

ORGANIZATION Organization is the

internal structure, the thread of meaning, the pattern of ideas.

ORGANIZATION An inviting introduction Thoughtful transitions Logical sequencing Pace is under control A satisfying conclusion

VOICE Voice is the heart

and soul, the magic, the wit, the feeling, the conviction of the writing.

VOICE Individual and engaging “Aches with caring” Honest, committed, responsive Suits audience and topic Strong interaction with the reader

WORD CHOICE Word choice is the

use of rich, colorful, precise language that moves and enlightens the reader.

WORD CHOICE Lively Verbs Original and deliberate choices Special moments Visual Specific and precise

SENTENCE FLUENCY Sentence fluency is

the rhythm and flow of the language…the way writing plays to the ear—not just the eye.

SENTENCE FLUENCY Rhythm, flow, and natural cadence Smooth phrasing Well-built sentences Sentence length enhances meaning Varied sentence beginnings

CONVENTIONS Conventions

represent the mechanical correctness of the piece.

CONVENTIONS Spelling, capitalization, punctuation,

grammar/usage, and paragraphing (indenting)

Ready for a public audience Control brings out style and enhances

ideas Experimentation that works well Shows more than just the basics

PRESENTATION (+1) Presentation

focuses on the form and layout of the text; the piece should be pleasing to the eye.

COUNTING COUP Think-Ink-Pair-Share

THE ENEMY IN FRONT OF US Not a person But a thing “The biggest enemy our children have

are those things sitting in front of you and they’re called books.”—Gerard Baker

THE WARRIOR “What do you do with your enemies?

You conquer them.” “We have to redefine our enemies and

conquer them.”

COUNTING COUP “We have to count coup on books.”

--------------------------------------------------Think-Ink-Pair Share

WRITING SUMMARIES Getting to the heart of the matter

CREATING PICTURES

RAFTS R=Heart (Role) A=French Fries (Audience) F=Complaint (Format) T=Effects of fat in the diet (Topic) S=Warn (Strong Verb) You are Heart and are concerned about your

good health. Write a letter of complaint to the French Fries warning them of the effects of fat in the diet.

RAFTS

Dear French Fries,I’m writing to give you a warning. You are killing me! You may not realize that one small serving of you contains more saturated fat than I can handle in an entire day. I’ve had it with your high sodium, fat, cholesterol, and artery-clogging ways. Your value-meal family may be easy on the wallet but you are really costly to me.

Clean up your act,The Heart

RAFTSDear Mary,It is important to use punctuation. Why aren’t you usingpunctuation? Punctuation marks are periods, commas, question marks, exclamation marks, and so on. When you write you should always use my marks or people won’t know what you mean. I know your teacher has shown you how to use my marks. Please use them everyday.Thank you,Peter Punctuation

Ruth Culham, 6+1 Traits of Writing: Professional Study Guide

FUTURE PLAN During the first month of school, use

the trait lesson you designed Use a trait scoring guide to assess

student work Be prepared to discuss student work at

our next meeting (bring it along)